30 November 2020

The renewable energy sector in India witnessed a slowdown in the first half of the 2021 financial year due to a Covid-19-induced economic slump. However, renewable capacity will increase in the third quarter of the next financial year, as pandemic-related lockdown restrictions lift. The overall renewable capacity will then expand by 7.5GW to 8GW.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Pacific Community (SPC) have announced plans to collaborate. The agency will support Pacific island nations as they shift to renewable energy as part of their post-Covid-19 recovery. Around two-thirds of Pacific island residents do not have access to reliable energy, as the region predominantly sources electricity from fossil fuels. Both IRENA and SPC aim to decrease energy costs and enhance energy security by transitioning to renewables.

Danish renewable energy developer Ørsted has commissioned the Borssele 1 & 2 offshore wind farm. The wind farm lies off the coast of the Zeeland province of the Netherlands. Construction on the 752MW wind farm was continued through the coronavirus pandemic, with 94 turbines installed across nine months. Borssele is the second largest offshore wind farm in the world, capable of providing electricity to one million households in Holland.